


Proximity

by maple_tree



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Homosexual shenanigans, Internal Conflict, Jiwoo is wealthy, Wine Aunts inspired, birthday party shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25146256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maple_tree/pseuds/maple_tree
Summary: Who even sends letters now? Sooyoung receives an over-elaborate envelope sandwiched in the middle of her Domino's vouchers, opens it, and wonders if she's unintentionally catfished a sugar daddy because this invitation is way too fancy. It wouldn't hurt to go - it's only for an afternoon, is what Sooyoung thinks, but it turns out way, way differently than that.For one, Sooyoung didn't expect to find a girlfriend.
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	Proximity

So, like, it wasn’t weird to find out that you had a relative who hadn’t somehow been mentioned by anyone in your family, right? And it wasn’t weird that they’d never bothered to come to any weddings and New Year celebrations, right? And it’s not weird to be standing in front of the grandest mansion you’ve ever seen, and holding an invitation from your estranged aunt, for a birthday party for a girl you literally did not know existed…

Right?

Well, fuck it. Sooyoung’s not gonna pass up this opportunity of a lifetime. If the catering isn’t at least four Michelin stars, she’ll at least have a hell of an instagram story today. 

She got the bus here and had to walk like an hour, so she’s all gross and her hair is so damn messy, and parked in front of the gate are Bentleys and Teslas and a vintage Land Rover and she wonders if she laid a hand on one of them, the owner would sue her because she’d gotten her sweat on it or something. 

Walking up to the front door is in itself a marathon and even with all her dance training, Sooyoung has a stitch by the time she steps up to the oak double doors. And of course they have a doorbell like the one in Parasite - she presses the touch screen with the weird number pad and wonders how good the angle of the camera built into it is.

First impressions count. Sooyoung puts on her best smile as the camera whirrs. “Hello, I’m Ha Sooyoung, Mrs. Ha’s daughter - I’m here to attend the birthday party for -”

“Oh, come in, come in!”

“Ah - okay?” Sooyoung makes sure to wipe down her feet properly because their paths are made from weird expensive compacted wood chips or something. That voice was way too preppy.

When she gets in, she immediately feels ten times smaller. Usually she’s at least average height in the room, but the atrium is literally the size of the studio at her school and everything is glittering like she’s standing inside of a disco ball. Made of pure fucking gold.

Is she just supposed to find her own way to the party? Cause this place needs some street signs. She spins around and, like, has no idea.

“Well, here we fucking go then.” Sooyoung mutters under her breath. She sings eeny meeny miny moe and decides to take a left from the huge atrium area.

The wallpaper is so fancy that the only place she’s seen it before is the Goths’ mansion in the sims. Her shoes tap along marble flooring inlaid with LEDs and Sooyoung wonders if this is some sort of highway, with road lights, but you can only traverse it if your net worth is above 100K. Sooyoung herself is worth around 25 cents - you could exchange her for one of those gummy balls at the mall.

Oh wait - inflation - god, she’s probably worth 50 cents now! Double the value, and still in zero demand.

There’s a window like 100 metres away and she takes her sweet time walking up to it because what if someone looked in and saw her and thought she was a ghost or something? Looking out, she sees, oh so fucking far away and yet still on the same property, a smattering of parasols and one gigantic multi-foor gazebo.

Talk about extravagance. That’s the place she needs to go but she’s not going to make it on foot before sundown, that’s for sure. Maybe, she should just do a 180 and head back home? Nobody would miss her. And it wasn’t like the hosts knew how to contact her directly. And they surely wouldn’t be offended enough to hire hitmen.

Just as she’s teetering on the edge of escape, a toilet flushes from behind her, and Sooyoung whips around with her breath held, watching the previously-unnoticed door open. 

For fuck’s sake, the door looks like a vault to the queen’s Jewels decorated with the entirety of the rare minerals section of the British Natural History museum, how did she not see it before?

The girl who exits has long, soft, brown hair, and eyes of the exact same shade of honey, and piercings that look like they’re worth more than Sooyoung’s entire outfit. And a hell of a scream.

“What the fuck!” She yells at Sooyoung, like Sooyoung is actually a ghost (well that didn’t work out). “Who are you!”

“Woah, calm down, calm down -” Sooyoung shields herself with the invite to the party.

“Wait…” 

Sooyoung lowers the card to the girl’s height. “I was invited to a… Chuu’s birthday?”

“Oh - Jiwoo, yeah.” 

“I don’t know her, so maybe I’ve been mistaken for someone else?”

“It says your name is Ha Sooyoung, right?” The girl looks her up and down, several times. “Nah, I think they meant to invite you, not someone else.”

“How do you know?”

And this girl - she goes and fucking blushes, and turns red all the way up to her ears. “I just do, okay.”

Now this is really getting on Sooyoung’s nerves. “How do I know to trust you? Look, who even are you?”

“Aghh,” She screeches again. “I’m sorry I yelled at you! I’m Kim Jungeun.”

“Okay…? Credentials?”

“Hanlim Multi Art School. Practical Dance Department. You happy with that?”

_Oh my god_. This girl - this tiny ball of noise clad in thousands of dollars’ worth of designer fashion, goes to the most prestigious school in, like, the whole of Seoul. Her heart’s pounding but Sooyoung huffs and replies, “Yeah, okay.”

“And I’m also Jiwoo’s childhood friend.”

“Right.” Sooyoung raises her eyebrows. “So do you know how we get to the party?”

“Of course. Come with me - if you think my credentials are trustworthy enough.”

Sooyoung’s about to flare up again until she spots the crinkles in the corner of Jungeun’s eyes and gets distracted. “Alright.”

They make their way through corridors lined with minimalist and photo-realistic paintings and plush carpet, and go down a set of spiral stairs to emerge into the garden. Or a moderately-sized park, there’s no real difference.

“Was it okay to wear shoes inside?”

“Mmh. They deep-clean the carpet every Wednesday so it should be fine.”

“...Of course they do.”

Jungeun laughs. “Yeah, you’re gonna have to get used to it.”

“Well.”

“This way, come on.” Jungeun heads over to a golf caddy. “Hop on.”

“You know how to drive this thing?”

“I sure do.” 

“I still can’t believe this whole thing.”

“What?”

Sooyoung sighs. “I don’t even know who these people are. And then I turn up to their front door, and they live in a Jeff Bezos house? Sorry, but I’m the type to eat the rich. Why am I here?”

“Eating the rich is like, a life goal.” Jungeun replies. “But Jiwoo and her mums can be spared.”

“And why’s that?”

“...I like them.” Jungeun shrugs. “That’s not a reason why it’s okay to be rich. But I wouldn’t want to, you know, eat them.”

“Well, I haven’t met them yet.”

“You’ll like them too!”

“They’re still privileged.” Sooyoung bites her lip. “Sorry. She’s your best friend - and they’re my aunts, I shouldn’t be -”

“No, no, I get it.” Jungeun says, and leaves it at that.

It’s one thing to understand the inequalities, but it’s harder when you personally know the people. Maybe that’s how it is for Jungeun. Sooyoung just sighs and hopes her young socialist reading group forgives her for transgressing the vows she said when she joined, of eating every rich person and personally roasting all billionaires one by one over a toasty warm log fire. 

She just wishes that all this land, all this space - that it could be repurposed for something else rather than looking pretty and expensive. And yeah, wealth redistribution is a lot harder than income redistribution, but they’ve got to do it, sooner or later. 

“How far do we have to go?”

“We’ll be there in like - oh, now.”

Jungeun brakes abruptly and Sooyoung nearly gets yeeted through the front of the caddy. Not the best entrance, she thinks, as she straightens (ha) up in front of like 10 people. 

The first thing she notices is the sun. “Hello!”

“Hey…?” Sooyoung blinks rapidly for fear of having her retinas bleached or something. It’s the same voice from the doorbell.

“You’re Ha Sooyoung, right? I’m Kim Jiwoo! And that’s Jungeun -”

“Yeah, she knows who I am.” Jungeun calls.

“I’ve heard so many things about you - your dancing - singing - and I’m just so glad you could come: you look so pretty!”

“Ah, um - thanks? I’m glad to be here, yeah…”

Jiwoo gives her a gigantic hug which feels like she’s being enveloped in the embrace of a thousand golden labradoodles. When she releases Sooyoung, Jiwoo directs her to the cake table, which is neatly laid out with French pastries and those tiny sandwiches that make you feel like you’ve eaten nothing when in fact it’s probably a whole loaf of bread and an entire block of cheese.

Two other people are looking over the food and vacuuming it up.

“This is amazing.” The taller of the two says with her mouth full. “Fantastic. Definitely worth getting out of bed before 4pm on a Sunday.”

“Yeah,” the other replies, and her voice is so fucking deep it’s like a sinkhole has opened up beneath them and they’re suddenly in hell. “Better than what any church can offer.”

“God is real.”

Sooyoung steps past them and grabs a donut, only it’s got gold leaf on it. She’s eating the equivalent of like half an iPhone right now, probably. It takes her a while to pinpoint the taste - it tastes like Apple’s latest iPhone looks: unnecessarily good, and fucking expensive.

“Is that nice?” Deep-voice girl asks Sooyoung.

“Ten out of ten. It’s good, yeah.”

“You’ve got some crumbs on your dress,” the other girl says.

“So do you,” Sooyoung points out.

“Crap. You’re right.”

Deep-voice girl has a damn cute smile that doesn’t suit her voice at all. “You’re funny, Sooyoung - that’s your name, right?”

“Erm, yeah.” Jiwoo was loud. Well, at least she didn’t need to introduce herself over and over again. “Who are you guys?”

“I’m aeo-”

“No, this is Hyunjin.” The girl sighs. “And I’m Heejin.”

“I’m aeong.” Hyunjin repeats, and gets smacked.

“She’s not a furry, just to be clear.” 

Sooyoung raises her eyebrows. “On every level except physical, I am a cat. That’s the vibe I’m getting from you right now.”

“Damn right it is!” Hyunjin fist-bumps Sooyoung. “You are actually really funny.”

“Mmh. I know, right?”

Heejin and Hyunjin stare at her, and Sooyoung wonders if she’s gone a little too far - but it’s all fine, because at that moment there’s another screeching of brakes and a scream, followed by Jungeun going “oops, my bad.”

“New arrival.” Heejin says.

“I hadn’t noticed…” Hyunjin says with her mouth full, and Heejin leans closer to hear exactly what the fuck she just mumbled. Hyunjin kisses her on the cheek.

“Ew! Finish your food first!” 

“I agree.” Sooyoung turns away from the PDA with an added level of indecency and looks to see who’s just face-planted in the ground. 

“Could you be a bit more careful, Jungie?” Jiwoo calls, and receives back a screech that literally sounds like an airhorn being strangled. “Thank you!”

The person isn’t getting up but Jungeun doesn’t seem to be concerned. She nudges them with her foot, and they make an unidentifiable noise. 

“Get up… or I’ll run you over.” Jungeun curls her hands into fists. “I’ll do it.”

“Oh my god okay okay I’m up,” The person on the ground sits up and bangs their forehead straight into Jungeun’s.

Holy shit. They’re stupid. Both of them. They just killed the last braincell they were sharing.

“Jesus Christ,” Sooyoung mutters. What has she gotten herself into?

“Are you kidding me Jinsoul?” Jungeun wails (a tad dramatic but it’s weirdly adorable) and begins to chase said Jinsoul around the parked golf caddy.

Jinsoul turns around, and Jungeun runs straight into her like that cat hitting the glass door on the French bakery. “Please stop punching me? God, I knew I should’ve just left when I saw you sitting in the driver’s seat -”

“Well, you didn’t.” Jungeun holds Jinsoul at arm’s length. “And now you’re here.”

“Wish I wasn’t.”

“At least go say hi to Jiwoo.”

“Alright, alright -”

Sooyoung steps out of Jinsoul’s way as she shakes herself free from Jungeun’s grip; she meets Jungeun’s eyes, and shrugs. Behind her, Jinsoul and Jiwoo hug like old friends. 

Jungeun sighs. “Got one more person to come. Then we can start.”

“Are you the chauffeur?”

“In this thing? God, I don’t think you could call me a chauffeur even if I was paid to do it.”

“I don’t think anyone _would_ pay you. You’ve nearly killed 2 of your clients.”

“They’re fine, they’re fine.” Jungeun waves a hand. “Wait, are _you_ okay?”

“Yeah but please be more careful. At least I didn’t get yeeted like um.. Jinsoul, right?”

“Oh yeah, that was on purpose.”

“Uh, okay. What did I do to get spared from that?”

“You’re prettier.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nah, just kidding,” Jungeun reverses the golf caddy. “See ya soon.”

“What… the hell?” Sooyoung watches Jungeun zoom across the field towards the palace of a house. “She didn’t mean it, right?”

What a strange fucking girl. She hasn’t seen Jungeun laugh once when they weren’t alone and what was she doing alone in the house? So many questions and so few braincells to answer them with.

Also, who the hell are these people? If she’s counting right, there should be twelve at the party counting herself and Jungeun. The gazebo looks like it could fit around fifty, so why are there only like a dozen people?

The saddest thing is that they all seem to know each other and Sooyoung knows nobody; Jiwoo is getting swung around by a buff dark-haired girl who looks like the oldest out of the bunch, and next to them, someone with tiny shoulders is giggling uncontrollably. And Heejin and Hyunjin are doing whatever gay thing they’re doing, and Jinsoul is talking to someone else.

Sooyoung raises her eyes to the sky in despair.

“Hey. What’s your name?” The question comes from below her and Sooyoung doesn’t find the source until she actually looks directly down.

“Sooyoung. Did you not hear Jiwoo yell it?” Sooyoung replies to the smallest girl she’s ever seen.

“I think I’m deaf.” She sighs.

“Um. Okay then. Who are you?”

“Yeojin! I’m the youngest here.”

“Yeah,” Sooyoung says, looking her up and down. “I gathered.”

“Hey, just because I’m short -”

“Sorry. It’s cute, though.”

“Sorry. I have a girlfriend.”

“You know, I wasn’t - I thought you were a middle-schooler.”

Yeojin raises her tiny eyebrows. “Not the first time I’ve gotten that… I assume you’re a boomer?”

“I must be immortal to look this good, then.”

“You were born in 1997.” Yeojin says. 

“How the heck do you know?”

“I’m psychic,” Yeojin replies, and laughs at Sooyoung’s deadpan expression. “Nah, the only people who call me a middle-schooler were born in 1997. Like I said, boomers.”

“Shush, I’m not that old yet.”

“Hey, grandma!” Yeojin yells at Jinsoul and her talking buddy, and Sooyoung experiences deafness for the first time in her life. “Here’s one of your friends!”

“Whomst? I don't think I know her?”

“She’s your age - the only other living person your age, actually.”

“Hey!” Jinsoul power walks over and frowns down at Yeojin. “That’s rude.”

“What are you gonna do, tell on me?”

“I’ll tell Yerim to stop giving you cuddles.”

“Oh that’s a low blow…” Yeojin crosses her arms. “I don’t like this. I’m leaving.”

She bounces towards who Sooyoung assumes to be her girlfriend (Yerim?) and proceeds to commit gay. Interesting how prevalent homosexuality seems to be amongst the members of this party - not that Sooyoung minds. Look, having a pretty girl call _you_ pretty was not an everyday occurrence, and not everyone here could have a girlfriend, right?

“You don’t have a girlfriend, right?” Sooyoung mumbles as Jinsoul approaches her.

“Is that what you’re choosing to open with?” Jinsoul looks genuinely disturbed.

“Oh god - sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

“So you still thought about it?”

“Yeah, alright. Yeah, I did. Cause not to assume or anything - but this party is very… queer…”

Jinsoul laughs and it’s surprisingly loud. “That’s what you get, I guess.”

“What?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

“Again - what?”

“Oh here we go.” Jinsoul licks her lips in thought. “Okay. This sounds weird as hell, but Jiwoo’s parents - I think they invited only queer girls? Obviously because Jiwoo’s not straight herself but, like, this is a rather in-your-face way of saying “get a girlfriend,” isn’t it?”

“...it really is,” Sooyoung replies, and takes a fresh moment to go what the fuck inside her head. “So everyone here is rainbow of some sort?”

“Sure they are.”

“And… well, if they’ve all got girlfriends, then what’s the point?”

“To answer your question: I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh, my condolences.”

“What about you?”

“No - not yet, anyways.”

“What’s with the not yet? Who are you hitting up?”

“Literally no-one,” Sooyoung sighs. “Well, maybe this is my chance.”

“Alright, well, I’m sure you can see Heejin and Hyunjin are a thing -”

“Girl of _course_ I can see,” Sooyoung raises one eyebrow. “They couldn’t be any less public about it.”

“God, I know, right? It should be illegal to be that clingy.”

“Exactly. Ban couples 2K2K, let’s go.”

“We’ll have to kick half the people out from this party then.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Wish I wasn’t,” Jinsoul sighs. “It’s one thing to see couples in the street and another to have your closest friends be all over each other while you’re sitting there in the McDonald’s, putting ketchup on every individual fry to avoid eye contact.”

“...I’m sure it is.”

“You don’t sound convinced - let me tell you about that one time -”

“No, no,” Sooyoung waves her hands in front of her face. “I believe you. I get it.”

“Good.”

“Anyone else dating in this circle?”

“Uhm - Yeojin and Yerim. Babies. Tiny, small, babies.”

“Like in a baby gay sense or age?”

“Both? Oh how first love blooms.”

“It’s October.”

Jinsoul pouts. “You’re no fun.”

“On the contrary, I am very fun. You wouldn’t still be talking to me if I weren’t fun, right?”

“Well, Hyejoo’s about to throw Jiwoo into orbit, I don’t think I could go talk to her.”

“Oh, so her name is Hyejoo.”

“Yeah, and her “friend”,” Jinsoul does air quotes. “Is Chaewon.”

“Right… it’s that kind of relationship?”

“Seems like it. In every queer girl group you always get that, though. The stupid pining.”

“You make it sound like we’re a unit or something.”

“Let’s go lesbians - or something.”

“Sounds fun.” Sooyoung pauses. “Do we just wait until Jungeun comes back with whoever she’s fetching?”

“We also need to wait for Jiwoo’s mums. You know - they just invited all the queer girls they knew - on the surface it's a good idea, I mean, but that just means everyone has at least one ex here.”

“Oh, who's yours?”

“Jungeun.”

“Wait, really?” Sooyoung blinks. That explains why Jungeun wanted to run her over. Maybe.

“No, not really. Guess who it is."

“Uh… I don’t know? I don’t know anyone here. Jiwoo?”

Jinsoul considers that answer for a long time. "Hm. I wish."

"Hah. What?”

“What?”

“Okay, you’re confusing me. Can we go get some drinks?”

“There are minors here so there’s only lemonade and coke and stuff.”

“Yeah, let’s go do coke.”

They make their way over the table of drinks - it’s all in champagne glasses but it’s literally soda, what even is the point? It’s on a tray of ice, the type you see at a fancy seafood buffet restaurant, with prawns fresh from the arctic. 

“How do they keep it fizzy?” Sooyoung asks.

“Witchery. _Gay_ witchery. And a bajillion dollars.”

It seems like everything here is a variant of one of the three: Jiwoo’s sitting at the gazebo, re-enacting the last supper but queer with everyone sat around her and a crown Yerim and Yeojin made on her head. She waves Jinsoul and Sooyoung over with a smile brighter than a nuclear explosion.

“Hey you two! Have you met everyone here?”

“Yeah, I have now.” Jinsoul finds a seat next to Chaewon.

“I’ve talked to some of you, I think?”

“Well, everyone - this is Sooyoung, my half-cousin! She’s amazing.”

“That’s high praise,” the girl called Hyejoo says.

“I’m not kidding, you know -”

“No, Jiwoo, it’s okay. Hyejoo, right?”

“Yeah.”

Sooyoung shrivels up inside from the tone of Hyejoo’s voice but let her be damned if her poker face slips. “So… what do you study at school?”

“Normal stuff.”

“She’s the head of the dance club,” Chaewon interjects helpfully, because god help her Sooyoung wasn’t going to keep talking so someone so deadpan.

“Oh really? I'm the head of ours too - we should get together and do a battle some day.”

“Mmh. Do you think you could beat us?”

“Do you think you could beat me?”

This is going from 0-100 real quick but it’s kinda fun; Hyejoo looks taken aback, and glances away from Sooyoung. “Depends.”

“I’m kidding, by the way.”

Hyejoo looks back into Sooyoung’s eyes. “Give me your LINE.”

“Oh I’m not available for dates at the moment -”

“Let’s schedule a time for that dance battle,” Hyejoo shrugs. “I’ve actually heard things about you too.”

“Ah, right. Fantastic.”

After they’ve exchanged details, Sooyoung sits down warily beside Jinsoul, and lets out a breath. Jinsoul looks sideways at her through her bangs.

“She’s intense, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s nothing bad.”

“She’s just shy, that’s all.” Jinsoul’s eyes crinkle up. “An annoying little brat once you get to know her.”

“I figured.”

The noise in the gazebo doesn’t seem to dissipate; it only builds up and up, but Sooyoung doesn’t feel any pressure from the sheer number of conversations happening around her, and there’s no pressure to join in either. She interlaces her fingers and stretches. Maybe she doesn’t need to throw herself into traffic.

Speaking of traffic - there’s a familiar whirring of wheels but no scream of pain this time. Jungeun disembarks and helps her passenger off by the hand. It’s disconcerting to see her being so… mild? Mellow? But, well, when Sooyoung sees who comes in with her she understands. 

This girl has the kindest face she’s ever seen, and her smile makes Sooyoung feel like Winnie the Pooh dipping into a pot of honey. Or being dipped into a pot of honey. 

“Haseul!” Everyone stands up and beams like they’re ascending.

Who is this angel? Jungeun leads her to the gazebo and up the steps, and Sooyoung wonders if this is what Jungeun would act like if she were in love. Apart from her, everyone greets Haseul with a hug, but Sooyoung only nods and smiles.

“That’s everyone,” Jungeun says to Jiwoo after settling into her seat next to said birthday girl.

“Let’s get this party started!” Jiwoo replies and it draws everyone’s attention. 

Cheers from Yeojin drown out all other affirmative noises and it only dies down when Jiwoo claps her hands like 20 times. “The first event has been planned by me.”

“What is it?” Hyejoo asks.

“We’re going to the lake! We have those swan boats now - they’re amazing, honestly -”

“Hell yeah let’s go!” Heejin jumps up in excitement, trips, and lands right back in Hyunjin’s lap.

“Just follow the signs,” Jungeun says. “It’s a five minute walk, you shouldn’t be able to get lost.”

“Aye aye cap’n,” Yerim takes Yeojin’s hand and heads out. 

“Where are your mums, by the way?” Haseul tilts her head.

“They ran a bit late with their meeting - they called and said just go ahead with the activities.”

“Ah, right. Let’s go, then?”

Jiwoo hops off her seat and happily follows Hyejoo and Chaewon out the door. And Jinsoul - she sighs and goes to catch up with Jiwoo, abandoning Sooyoung in her lonesome with Haseul and Jungeun, which almost makes her feel like a third wheel.

Whatever. Sooyoung shrugs and looks over Jungeun in her cute outfit one last time (she promises to herself) and leaves the gazebo. It’s literally not her business and she’s only known these people for two seconds, so there’s no point overthinking or thinking at all.

On the way there, she’s joined by a girl with killer bangs and a killer eye smile. Kahei. She’s the actual oldest out of the bunch and it shows, because it’s calming as fuck to be around her, even for the short five minutes to the lake. At least it prepared her for the shenanigans that was about to go down.

“So you dance too?”

“Yeah,” Sooyoung replies. “Seems like a lot of people here do.”

“It’s really fun; I wish I got more time to do it, though.”

“Oh - come to me and Hyejoo’s dance battle. I’m sure if you pretended to be a third player you could rock the party.”

There it is again. The amazing starry-eyed smile. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“You think I’m nice?”

“Sure,” she says, and links her arms with Sooyoung’s. “You seem a lot saner than the people at this party, anyways.”

“It’s not that hard.”

“That’s right, too.”

“... the way you said it - did you not know these guys before the party?”

“No, actually. I only knew Haseul.”

“Ah. She’s the only other person who feels like they’re 100% sane.”

“Is anyone 100% sane?”

“Good point.” Sooyoung puts her hand in her pocket to keep Kahei’s arm closer. “What’s Haseul like, then?”

“Very, very sweet.” Kahei says quietly.

“She does look like it.”

“Her most used emojis are all the variants of the hearts.”

“...yeah that seems like it.”

“Why do you ask?” Kahei bumps her head into Sooyoung’s shoulder. 

“I don’t know… she just seems so nice that it’s kind of unapproachable, you know?”

“Aw, Sooyoung, don’t be so shy.”

“I’m not shy! I just - everyone seems so close to her, I don’t know if there’s space for me.”

“Who? Haseul?”

Interesting. Her heart just went badump. “Uh, I guess.”

“You were still talking about Haseul, right?”

“Sure I was, yeah. Haseul.”

“Well, I agree. People like that are hard to deal with.”

“Hmm… do you think it’s worth it, though?”

“Sure it is.” Kahei smiles and Sooyoung feels all her sins being washed away. “At least if it fails you’ll know never to touch someone like that again.”

“You’re surprisingly bleak, you know.”

“Eh, so are you. I suppose it comes with age.”

“I’m younger than you?”

“Let me guess - you’re a ‘97-liner?”

“Yeah? That’s two people who have guessed right. I’m starting to think that these people are weird because they’re psychic.”

Kahei laughs. “Funny. I’ll tell you a prediction then, even though I’m not weird. Or psychic.”

“Okay...?”

“You’ll become Jungeun’s favourite.”

“Erm,” Sooyoung’s heart just went badump again but this time in size 69 font. “What are you talking about? I barely know her.”

“Oracles are not to be questioned.” Kahei detaches from Sooyoung and smiles disarmingly again.

“Well I’ve sure got a lot of questions right now.”

“You don’t seem to mind all that much.”

“... you said you weren’t weird. Press x to doubt.”

“Take my word or leave it, I guess. We’re here now.”

And they were here: at the prettiest, most Hyde park-esque lake Sooyoung has ever seen. Even the fallen leaves on the water are the perfect shade of golden and floating in a little dock nearby are the swan boats, fresh out of the factory.

“Okay, if you can’t swim, come over to this side.” Jiwoo calls.

“Swimmers over here,” Jungeun adds.

They quickly separate into two lines and would you look at that, it’s an even split. How fun. 

“Get on a boat with the person opposite you!”

Miraculously, none of the couples have been split up, but it’s not the best system because Sooyoung’s assuming that the pairings are for safety and all - and there’s no fucking way Yeojin will be able to rescue Yerim. Yeojin is like, the height of a Gentoo penguin.

Hyunjin and Heejin are the first to step on a boat, Heejin wobbling and Hyunjin holding her by the waist. Disgustang. Sooyoung’s gonna get a cavity. The next pair is Yerim holding onto Yeojin’s hand. And then there go Kahei and Haseul - she can’t tell if either of them are exactly pleased or displeased. Weird.

“I guess it’s you and me again,” Jungeun gets into the boat and raises an eyebrow as Sooyoung who’s spaced the fuck out. “Hey, come on. I won’t bite.”

“Not sure about that.”

“Why? What have you heard about me?” 

They do the bike-paddle thing towards the middle of the lake, and float around in slow circles. Back at the dock all the boats are out and Sooyoung makes out Jinsoul and Jiwoo in the last boat. Extra weird.

“Eh, I’m not that nosy, I haven’t heard anything about you, actually.”

“Alright then.”

“...so how long have you known Jiwoo?” Not asking didn’t mean Sooyoung wasn’t curious.

“Since we first started school.”

“I thought you were her childhood friend?”

“Oh, I meant, like, elementary school.”

“Wow.” Sooyoung leans back. “Has she always been so bright?”

“The day she appeared was like the day the sun died.”

“You know, that’s pretty accurate.”

“What can I say,” Jungeun copies Sooyoung’s pose. “I’m a poet.”

“I thought you studied dance.”

“Yeah, I do. But I also have a journal thing that I write in, so. I’m a poet.”

“No way - you do that too?”

“Hell yeah!” Jungeun nudges Sooyoung with her hip and Sooyoung’s reaction is so disproportionately violent (due to touch-starvedness probably) that she nearly yeets herself into the lake.

Jungeun stares at her, and Sooyoung holds her breath. Then Jungeun bares her teeth in the most annoying laugh Sooyoung has ever heard and Sooyoung considers yeeting Jungeun instead.

“Jesus Christ,” Sooyoung says, and Jungeun literally punches her. “Ow! What the hell?”

“I dunno I just found that really funny oh my god I can’t breath -”

“Okay calm down… I’m sorry that I’m so fatally hilarious or something?”

“Ack, okay. I’m fine.” 

Sooyoung’s forehead wrinkle from frowning is gonna be permanent after this party. “Are you sure?”

“No, I’m not sure. But at least I can breathe.”

“That’s a plus, I guess.”

“Yeah. So, now I know that you journal stuff too. And you dance?”

“People at this party seem to know me for that. Yeah I dance good but like -”

“No, no. I get it.” Jungeun says again, and Sooyoung wonders how many more times Jungeun will say that to her. “I sometimes get that too, when I tell people where I go to school.”

“Yeah, now that I think about it, that’s a fun reputation to have to maintain.”

“What did you think of me, when you first met me?”

“Well - first of all I think we’re still like meeting now? And secondly… I thought your hair was pretty.”

Jungeun’s blush is pretty too. “Oh. Thanks.”

“When you mentioned Hanlim I was like wow okay, but seriously? I think it kind of suits you.”

“That’s reassuring to hear. Hey, you know Jiwoo goes there too?”

“Two of you?” Sooyoung raises her eyebrows. “I’m in some elevated company.”

“Flattered to make your acquaintance.”

“Jiwoo… let me guess… vocals?”

“Bingo. How’d you get that?”

Sooyoung has a flashback to literally fifteen minutes ago because all her neurons have rotted and she doesn’t have a memory no more. “Uh, considering her projection when she yelled my name, I’m pretty sure she’s good at other singer stuff too.”

“She sure is.”

“How did Jiwoo like, hear about me? Cause I’ve never seen any of y’all before but you guys seem to know each other so well.”

“Erm… you know the context for this party, right?”

“Does that help answer my question?”

“I don’t know?”

“Why are we talking like this?”

“Do you mean the questions?”

“Of course I mean the questions?” Sooyoung laughs. “We sound like that vine which is like, uh, according to the encyclopedia of -”

“Phlpblpblp,” Jungeun says.

“Exactly, but you didn’t have to spit on me with that.”

“Phlppplbbblppplbbb.”

“Okay - I get it! How old are you?”

“I’m the same age as Jiwoo.”

“You’re younger than me, then. I mean I already could tell but like -”

“Okay boomer.”

“You do not get to say that overused thing.”

“Oooookay, boomer.”

“For god’s sake - the tiny girl - Yeojin? Also called me that. I came out here to have a good time -”

“- and I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now!” Jungeun finishes the sentence with Sooyoung.

“Yeah, exactly. I didn’t expect to be dropped into a party full of gay girls, you know.”

“Oh so you know.”

“Hell, I didn’t even expect that the host is like a birthday billionaire.”

“Which one is more shocking?”

“I don’t know.” But Sooyoung knows which one is more pleasing to her.

“Which one do you like more?” Jungeun asks again, looking away from her. Oh.

“Considering I’m very, _very_ into girls - I’d say the first one is a definite plus.”

Jungeun turns her head back to her violently and whips Sooyoung across the face with her hair. “Holy shit - oh no are you okay?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Apologies,” Jungeun says, but she’s fucking smiling. 

“You’re even more annoying than I thought you were.”

“Why is that?”

“The fact that you’re asking me to explain it to you is like, half the reason.” Sooyoung just wants to wipe that smirk off that stupid pretty face - oh, wow, she’s actually feeling something, for the first time in forever. “That was a big-ass overreaction.”

“Just surprised at the fact that Jiwoo’s mums managed to make _all_ the attendees queer.”

“I mean, they’re millionaires. They can literally do anything.”

“Well, they haven’t gotten Jiwoo a girlfriend yet.” 

Sooyoung bites the inside of her cheeks and narrows her eyes, trying to remember Jinsoul’s exact reaction. “I think that’s not far off.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s either that or like, never, right? Since everyone queer is here.”

“Right, yeah; that’s a good point.” Jungeun sighs. “It’s kind of depressing that we all fit on six boats.”

“That’s a uniquely wlw struggle it seems.”

“We’re either all inside playing with our cats or gardening. Or writing poems.”

“Speak for yourself - but yeah, I get you. That’s why I don’t understand how some people have acquired girlfriends. Good for them though.”

Across the water, she can hear Yeojin’s laugh, and it’s cute, yeah, but it also reminds Sooyoung of the summer romance she wishes she could have; and it’s October, and way too late for anything like that to ever happen.

“Good for them,” Jungeun lets out the longest sigh ever and tilts back her head to look at the sky all dramatically. “I guess we’ll see what happens at the end of today.”

“What? Is this a matchmaking thing?”

“Is it not?”

“I dunno. I don’t know anything.”

“Mood,” Jungeun fidgets. “You know, I thought this party was going to be worse.”

“Really? Why?”

“I - well, just there was a lot of stuff we had going on. But it’s all good now.”

_We_? Sooyoung shrugs. “I had no expectations at all, and you know what? It’s halfway decent being here.”

“Yeah, halfway decent. Also this boat rocks.”

“...rocks? Really?”

“Don’t you find it _punny_?”

“Eh. Just when I think you guys are getting better, you pull this.”

Jungeun cracks up for no reason, her hand forming into a claw as she covers her mouth. The way her laugh sounds makes Sooyoung worry that she’s suffocating. God, this girl…

“You’re seriously laughing at your own joke. I can’t with this…”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m warning you - I will throw you into this goddamn lake.”

“If you remember, I can swim, my dude.”

Crap, yeah. The girl _can_ swim. “Yeah but you’re not waterproof.”

“Were you actually going to drown me because that’s very mean of you - wah!”

Sooyoung takes hold of Jungeun’s shoulders and tips the boat so that they’re like a millimetre above the water. “I’ll drown myself for this.”

“For what?” Jungeun’s eyes are wide and from this close, Sooyoung sees how the light reflects off her irises but not her pupils; maybe it’s the angle of the sunlight, or the way it bounces off this hecking beautiful lake. 

“I mean, you’ll be able to rescue me, right?”

“I meaaaan, yeah I’ll be able to,” Jungeun puffs up her cheeks. “But will I want to? Will I desire it from the bottom of my soul?”

“You better, you irresponsible host. Don’t try to kill me for the second time today.”

Jungeun keeps her cheeks very round and Sooyoung can’t look away, even though the sun’s now directly behind Jungeun and blinding Sooyoung. “I’m not promising that.”

“I won’t risk it, then.”

“And also, I’m not the host. Jiwoo’s the birthday girl.” 

“You seem to be managing a lot of things, though.”

“Yeah because I know this place the best out of everyone. I like doing stuff.”

“Childhood friends, huh.”

“Yup - but, like, a lot of people at this party also go way back. We all went to the same high school for like a bit.”

“Wait, but, I remember Kahei said she didn’t know many of you guys? I mean neither do I -”

“Oh yeah Kahei transferred like last year. She’s really cool and hangs out with Haseul a lot.”

“Haseul - I didn’t get to talk to her, what’s she like?”

Jungeun looks down and lets her hand trail in the water. “Really nice,” she says, and there’s almost a smile on her face. 

“She seems very sweet.”

“Sweet. Yeah, I like that.”

Something clenches in Sooyoung’s chest and she refuses to believe it’s her heart, probably a collapsed lung, she hopes. And it’s weird - because how long has she known these people? How long has she known Jungeun? In short, there’s no reason for her to think like this. “You guys seem like good people.”

“So do you,” Jungeun replies, and there’s a real smile on her face this time. “You can count on me to save you if we do capsize.”

“Oh thank you so much, I’m sure the others would’ve just watched me drown.”

“Hey, stop that.”

“I’ve got nothing to lose mate, you said you weren’t going to push me overboard.”

“Try me, bitc-”

“Hey, you two - remember these boats cost a fortune.” Jinsoul floats by like a ghost with Jiwoo’s concerned face peeking out from behind her shoulder.

“We wouldn’t want you to get wet either!” Jiwoo adds.

“Thank you for your concern but as you can see,” Sooyoung gestures to Jungeun’s hand on her neck. “We are perfectly fine and friendly.”

“Yeah, _very_ friendly.” Jinsoul rolls her eyes. 

“Just having a fun, friendly chat,” Jungeun says but doesn’t take her hand away from Sooyoung’s neck, and it’s making Sooyoung’s pulse rise, for several reasons, one of which is inevitably gayness. “Should we head back now?”

Jiwoo nods. “Yeah, let’s do that - time for the second activity!” 

“Alright,” Jungeun replies, and starts going ham with the pedals. “Race you there!”

“You - are you children?” Sooyoung yelps and scrambles to get on it.

“Look at yall, all competitive,” Jinsoul says but her legs are going too. 

Jiwoo grins. “Full speed ahead! Let’s Jiwoom!”

And off they go across the lake like jet skis, only giant, white, birdy ones. Their heights average out to be about the same (but still short as frick) but there’s no way of out-pedalling two dancers. Sooyoung has never worked her thighs so damn hard. Next to her, Jungeun’s turning red like when she’s embarrassed and her tiny hands are formed into fists, again. 

She could not have predicted this when she rolled out of bed this morning. After she hit the floor and laid there for another five minutes, Sooyoung had been thinking about how weird it was to see the New York Times include Kpop fans and Trump in the same headline. And then she thought about AOC saying KPop allies, and then she wanted to cry.

Because what the fuck is going on? Sooyoung didn’t expect to be sitting right next to a pretty girl absolutely blasting across this millionaire’s lake, right after she’d seen a post which was like “lesbians can smell each other through pheromones”, and then they’re at the other end of the lake and Jungeun is breathing heavily and Sooyoung? She’s no longer on the mortal plane of existence.

“Fuck yeah!” Jungeun hits Sooyoung. “We won!”

“That we absolutely did but why did you punch me?”

The only reply she gets is another smack on the shoulder; and, like, Sooyoung isn’t necessarily a masochist but when she took the BDSM test just for shits and giggles, the percentage for masochist wasn’t zero. 

What Sooyoung’s trying to convince herself is that she doesn’t like this whole thing - this whole Jungeun thing, this closeness and how warm her hands are. There’s history within this messy group of people, that much she can tell, and it feels too much like getting in the way.

When you date someone you also date their friends; and it takes time for people to grow on Sooyoung, and it takes even more time for Sooyoung to grow on them. The scariest thing is that it only took Jungeun an hour.

It all comes down to the stuff in Sooyoung’s head. The expectations, the desires - and how inevitable the future seems. Not to mention all the noise whenever she tunes into the news on the TV. Sometimes it _hurts_ to think, it hurts to consider doing anything. What a stroke of luck it was to meet these people and to feel her heart beating, hard, but she’s had her fair share of botched fortunes.

Where’s this one going to go, huh? How long will it last?

Questions, questions, Jungeun’s laugh, and suddenly they’re all standing by the dock, watching the last boat float in. Kahei and Haseul hop out, and take a moment to look around. Then Haseul’s approaching Jungeun, who’s been standing by Sooyoung’s side all this time and making funny faces at her. And Sooyoung’s trying her best to ignore them.

Haseul pokes Jungeun’s cheeks and Jungeun does the pouty thing, where she opens her eyes real wide and looks at you like a moomin. “Who are you bothering now, huh?”

“I’m not bothering you, right?” Jungeun asks Sooyoung.

“Eh, debatable. You’re like one of those baby goats that jump around and like, fall over a lot.”

“That’s so mean! Take it back -” 

Sooyoung gets hit again and pretends to faint, which earns her, you guessed it - another knockout punch. Besides them, Haseul smiles. “She’s not wrong, you know.”

“No, you two are both wrong.”

“What a nice way to treat your friends,” Sooyoung smiles like a squirtle. “I feel so welcomed.”

“Friends? Since when did I say we were friends?” Jungeun narrows her eyes.

“Jungeun you’ve hung out with her for like an hour without leaving her side, I’d say that was some kind of friendship?” Haseul watches Jungeun poke her tongue into the inside of her cheek to avoid answering. 

“Or possibly she’s waiting for her chance to assassinate me, who knows.”

“No, she’s too clumsy to pull off anything like that,” Haseul smiles with her eyes, turns, and starts running when Jungeun moves towards her.

“You can’t go around slandering people like that!”

“Speak for yourself,” Sooyoung mutters under her breath as Jungeun sprints away. She grabs Haseul and starts windmilling her arms at her, and their laughs echo across the lake like pebbles being skipped. Even though Haseul is so much shorter than Jungeun, there’s still something natural in the way she puts her arm around Jungeun’s waist and holds her in place.

Intuitive. They fit together so well, half of it being Haseul’s unabashed push-and-pull and how Jungeun is so easy to read, and the other half being history: pages and pages of it contained between their teases and hugs, and the way Haseul lays her head on Jungeun’s shoulders so that her lips are close to Jungeun’s neck.

They’re walking back towards the gazebo area, and yeah, it’s sunny and birds are chirping and stuff, but when the day ends it’ll all be the same anyways. She’ll hit Hyejoo up for that dance battle but Sooyoung reckons she won’t even highlight this instagram story once the twenty-four hours have passed.

“Okay girls - the next activity is even more exciting.”

Everyone looks at Jiwoo, who does a V in the air like she’s starting to transform into a magical girl. “We’ve managed to hire my _favourite_ ride - you guys know the one.”

“You don’t mean…” Jungeun closes her eyes.

“What? What’s the story here?” Sooyoung asks because everyone is either looking very worried or cracking up at Jungeun’s expression. 

A tsunami of responses nearly knocks her off her rocker but grandma Sooyoung manages to make out the words “wig snatched, literally” and “barf”, which are two concerningly disparate things. Screeching, Jungeun grabs Sooyoung and hides behind her. “Save me! I think I’ll actually die this time -”

Jiwoo tries to look disapproving but the way her eyebrows are slanted is so non-threatening that it cancels out whatever else she’s doing. “Jungeun-ah, it won’t hurt you.”

“Oh yes it will.” 

“Come on - for me? Please?” Jiwoo switches tact and the moment she puffs out her cheeks, Sooyoung knows it’s game over for Jungeun.

She’s trembling as she holds onto Sooyoung’s shoulders. “I… okay, I’m not pleased with this but fine. For you.”

“Only you could convince Jungeun to repeat the biggest mistake of her life,” Jinsoul pats Jiwoo on the head and the brightest smile floats to Jiwoo’s face. “Well done.”

Sooyoung blinks. “Damn. I’m sure it wasn’t the biggest mistake.”

“You’re right.” Jungeun stares at Jinsoul for a moment. “I’ve done stupider things than go on this rollercoaster.”

“Yes, you have. So let’s go!” Jiwoo pulls Jungeun towards another path, and with her other hand grabs Jinsoul. Sooyoung doesn’t even have time to react before Jungeun’s arm locks around her neck and she’s heading to her certain death too.

For the love of god and all things sweet left in this hellhole called earth - Sooyoung _will_ be passing out today, through close proximity with pretty girls or simply through asphyxiation. Or, since Jungeun is so dedicated to choking Sooyoung, a spicy combination of both. 

“Hey,” Sooyoung grips Jungeun’s very toned arm currently at her throat. “I thought you didn’t want to kill me.”

“I’m not trying to kill you - just come with me, please?”

It’s not a request that Sooyoung was thinking of turning down, but: “I’m not that good with rides either, if you’re looking for someone reliable I’m sorry to have disappointed you -”

“Perfect, I finally get someone to tease.”

“Can’t believe you just did a 180 like that.”

“It’s not like I won’t be dragged myself. We’ll suffer together, right?”

Yeah there was some basis to that not-0% masochist result. Sooyoung nods and does the squirtle smile again but this time the squirtle is on 1HP. They trudge through a column of trees and Jungeun doesn’t let go of her hand, and man, Sooyoung thinks she might be enjoying this before she sees what a trip she’s in for. 

“Holy fucking crap,” Sooyoung looks up at the stupidly tall ride. “Jungeun I think it’s better if we get out of here -”

“No, you two aren’t going anywhere.” Jiwoo’s hands are like steel as she clamps both Jungeun and Sooyoung in place. Doomed. 

Jiwoo smiles at the people supervising the ride and Sooyoung wonders if she should click her tongue in morse code and tell them to break the ride so it’s unstartable. Though, knowing this bunch of weirdos - one of them definitely knows morse code, foiling her clever clever plan. 

Every step Sooyoung takes with Jungeun next to her feels simultaneously like ascension and Dante doing a fun dance into the next circle of hell. 

They meet each other’s eyes and feel their souls slipping away; hand-in-hand, they walk together towards their certain death. Strapped in with no way out, Sooyoung looks to the sky and closes her eyes. She’s an atheist but damn it, she’s praying to whoever is out there to listen.

She’s sitting next to Jungeun who seems to have lost all blood in her face. As the ride starts up, behind them, Sooyoung hears Jiwoo make a noise that she’d call cute if Sooyoung wasn’t losing her mind at the heights they were ascending to. Jungeun’s knuckles are going white on the bar she’s gripping. And, like, fucking mood, because Sooyoung can’t feel her feet anymore out sheer stress. 

“Hey, if we die, we die together, okay?” Sooyoung puts her quivering hand on Jungeun’s.

“Crash and burn.” Jungeun clenches her fingers around Sooyoung’s (painful, but Sooyoung can take it), and they watch themselves get one step closer to heaven as the ride goes up. And then, it drops, and Sooyoung sinks into deep despair.

Her head feels like it’s being spun like a top and yes she’d like to be a top but not in this fashion; the sky becomes a blue whirlwind, palms sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy - and fuck, there’s probably about to be vomit on her sweater too. 

All the while that she’s feeling her will to live drain out of her like water from a shirt in the laundry dryer, Sooyoung also feels Jungeun’s hair whipping her in the face, and in between the pain Sooyoung thinks to herself that her shampoo smells nice. Sooyoung’s closed her eyes, her brain depleting of meaningful thoughts, and she simply appreciates the small silver lining of holding Jungeun’s hand. It’s all she has left worth living for.

Her life plus that one Sunmi performance she saw live flashes in front of her eyes when the ride goes through its last fall - Jungeun leans against Sooyoung’s shoulder and fuck it, Sooyoung needs this right now more than ever. Trembling like a leaf in the wind, she puts her head on Jungeun’s and experiences the cancelling out of emotions - terror and euphoria, all in that last drop.

When they land back on the ground it don’t feel like earth no more. Sooyoung almost sinks to her knees if not for Jungeun still clinging on to her arm. “I… I’m still alive. I’m alive!”

“We’re alive, Sooyoung - the world - it’s so bright…”

“I’m glad we survived: together we will be able to conquer everything -”

Jungeun takes Sooyoung’s hand in both of her own. “Today has taught me so much. Life, it’s valuable, you gotta give it your all and live laugh love unconditionally.”

“You dramatic little arses,” Jinsoul hops off behind them and helps Jiwoo out of her straps. “Of course you didn’t die.”

“I lived, bitch!” Jungeun pumps her fist in the air.

“Give us some credit, you guys forced us to do this.”

“Alright, alright,” Jiwoo grins. “Well done, the both of you.”

“Thank you.” Sooyoung replies. “Can we get some merch? Like “I survived the death drop” or something?”

“We can arrange for that,” Jiwoo bites her lip.

“Imagine if we had one of those ride cameras,” Jungeun sighs.

Jinsoul widens her eyes and pouts at Jungeun, which Sooyoung learns later is half the way Jinsoul teases. “Your hair was so wild, I don’t think it would have been very flattering.”

“Hey! What about you?”

“Jiwoo can distract anyone looking with aegyo, it’s fine.”

A very sunny smile floats to Jiwoo’s face. “Aww, thank you!”

Jungeun struggles for a moment. “Well - okay, you’re not wrong. But, hey, Sooyoung’s also really distracting so it’s fine.”

Sooyoung double-takes. “Uh, distracting how?”

“You know what I mean.” Jungeun does a finger-gun, and has the audacity to wink.

“Please do elaborate,” Sooyoung says, bewildered, and she can see the amusement in Jungeun’s eyes. “You know what, I can’t deal with you anymore.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

“You guys get along really well, huh?” Jiwoo puts her hand on her chin. “Jungie’s never been so…”

“So _genuinely_ annoying?” Sooyoung sighs.

“Rude!”

“Am I wrong though?” Sooyoung raises her eyebrows; Jungeun turns her gaze away and Sooyoung gets bad butterflies in her stomach. “Okay, I’m wrong. It was a joke, I swear.”

“It better have been a joke.” Jungeun pouts, reapproaching Sooyoung. 

“See - that!” Jiwoo lights up. “If I teased Jungie like that I would’ve gotten hit so long ago.”

“Who says she hasn’t hit me yet?” Sooyoung shows Jiwoo her shoulder.

Jungeun’s turned towards Jiwoo and doesn’t look behind her when she punches the air; so it’s not the air but Sooyoung she punches. “What are you talking about I don’t hit people - oh my god Sooyoung I’m -”

“Argh,” Sooyoung groans. “Fracture, at the least.”

“Way to go to prove your non-violent character,” Jinsoul smiles.

Jungeun hugs like a koala, wrapping her entire body around Sooyoung. “I promise I won’t do it again.”

“From the interactions I’ve had with you so far… I don’t know, I might not be able to trust that.”

“Don’t trust her,” Jinsoul interjects. “Not worth the stress.”

“I have. A fantastic personality. If you get to know me. Right, Jiwoo?”

“We’re great! Best friends!” Jiwoo links her arm with Jungeun’s, and they _fit_ , just one centimeter between their heights and god Sooyoung can’t imagine just knowing someone for half your life. “To be fair, do you think I’ve had better alternatives?”

Just as Jungeun is about to answer, someone very far away laughs - and Sooyoung sees Hyejoo smiling brighter than she ever thought was possible. Her nose is scrunched up. “Hey - hey,” she sounds like she’s losing her mind. “Come look at this!”

What’s got that girl giggling like a jackal? Sooyoung is burning with curiosity, and a few steps later the four of them descend on Hyejoo and Chaewon and the phone they’re holding between them. To Sooyoung’s abject horror and the great amusement of everyone else, it’s a video of her half-dead on the ride.

“Look at her _hair_ , it’s like - it’s like a tornado made a nest in it, oh my god,” Hyejoo wheezes.

“You filmed it?” asks Sooyoung, squidging her head in between Jiwoo and Jungeun. 

“Of course we filmed it,” Chaewon giggles. “We wanted to test the zoom on my new phone - Jesus this is the funniest thing ever.”

Jungeun’s shoulders start trembling and she cracks up; next to her, Jiwoo covers her mouth and closes her eyes like she’s witnessing a tragedy. This results in Sooyoung being shaken like a milkshake on one side and spectating a funeral on the other. “Well, I’m sorry, I don’t usually look like that. I didn’t say that I’d look good going on that ride to hell.”

“We look fine though,” Jinsoul taps her head against Jiwoo’s shoulder. “And - oh, wow.”

Entering the frame is Jungeun covered in a mane of her own hair, head down, no thoughts - her face isn’t even visible but Sooyoung knows that she was not vibing. “See? I said I wasn’t alone in, like, straight up dying.”

“Jungeun, you’re even worse than Sooyoung… how?” Hyejoo says, and it’s a miracle that she doesn’t get hit; Jungeun is too busy cry-laughing even harder.

“I’m not good with rides!” Jungeun’s face is beet-red. 

“Neither us are, we were coerced. I’ll be calling my lawyer.”

Chaewon snickers. “My father will be hearing about this.”

In the video, Jungeun embodies “shaking and crying”, her feet kicking up; Sooyoung next to her is as still as a rock and it looks like her emotions have regressed to that of a rock’s too from sheer fear. Reliving it from another angle makes it seem less real, though. It’s actually pretty funny.

“Look, they’re holding hands!” Jiwoo pauses the video.

“Because it was traumatic,” Sooyoung puts her arm around Jungeun’s shoulders, pulls her close, and squishes their cheeks together. “Right?”

“Yeah, uh - it really was scarring.”

“Compared to the first time? I think you took it better, not gonna lie.” Hyejoo boops Jungeun on the nose. “Maybe it was because you didn’t eat anything this time.”

“Oh my god, don’t even remind me,” says Jinsoul, her eyes scrunching closed.

Jungeun bites her lip and sighs. “Please don’t talk about that, that was all in the past.”

“No, no. Tell me. Come on, I need to hear this.” Sooyoung leans into Jungeun.

“Viewer - and, like, listener - discretion advised,” Chaewon goes into a group chat. “Someone explain it while I find the video.”

Sooyoung looks at Hyesoulwoo expectantly; her hand moves to Jungeun’s waist, and man, surely October isn’t that warm because it feels like Jungeun is radiating the heat of a thousand suns. “Hey, I wanna know. Am I too uncool to know?”

“No, you’re cool. So,” Jiwoo spreads her hands out. “It was two years ago, and we took the babies to a theme park because they couldn’t go without someone over eighteen supervising or something.”

What follows is a tragic tale of an ice-cream taco consumed and expelled, of Jungeun losing her entire mind, of her also losing her pride Converses and a mad hunt around the theme park to find them again. Chaewon chokes when she opens the video; it’s filmed from the shaky hand of Hyejoo, and the wind makes everything inaudible.

Everyone dissolves into giggles, even Jungeun herself. There’s a sense of belonging, Sooyoung thinks, as she cracks a smile. She belongs outside on an autumn day like this, hanging around people who laugh at the same things she does.

“Look, look -” Hyejoo pauses the video, “You look exactly the same.”

The frame focuses on them having just exited the ride, Jungeun hanging on half-dead to Jinsoul. It seems like she has neither her shoes nor her sanity. Jiwoo nods thoughtfully. “We can’t blame Jungie, she’s just like that most of the time.”

“What does that mean?” Jungeun fans herself, as if that would get her face any less flushed.

Jinsoul tilts her head and looks Jungeun up and down. “I think she means that you somehow _exude_ small energy… even though you’re, like, almost average height.”

“It’s because you were too tall. Not my fault, I didn’t even have my shoes on.”

“You do always like to stand next to people taller than you, though.”

As everyone’s gazes swing towards Sooyoung, she becomes very aware of just how much her hand on Jungeun’s hip is sweating. “I’m the tallest here, right?”

“I think so?” Hyejoo steps up close to Sooyoung. “Only by like a millimetre. Actually, I can’t tell.”

“What about Jinsoul?” Jiwoo drags Jinsoul over. “Hold on, stand back to back.”

Jungeun detaches herself from Sooyoung, and squints to judge. She then crouches down - and when that totally unexpectedly didn’t work, she resorts to jumping like a frog to see the top of their heads. 

“Are you a clown?” Jinsoul asks.

“I’m trying my best,” Jungeun hops again. “My legs really hurt.”

Sooyoung attempts to use her non-existent peripheral vision to look at Jungeun. “You said you studied dance.”

“...it’s been a long day.”

Jinsoul’s voice is sonorous from such close range. “It’s 4pm though.”

“Okay yeah I’ve decided! Sooyoung is taller.” Jungeun crosses her arms.

“Are you joking?” asks Jinsoul, looking at Hyejoo, who just shrugs. “That’s not fair.”

“I just won the genetic lottery, I guess.” Sooyoung does a peace sign. “Sucks to be you.”

“I read somewhere that if you’re taller, your hands are also bigger, like, they’re proportional.” Hyejoo holds out her palm to Sooyoung.

“Really?” asks Sooyoung, and damn, yeah, really. Their hands are pretty much the same size.

“There’s no point comparing you two - we need to get shorter people” Jinsoul narrows her eyes. “Jungeun?”

“...fine, okay.”

Jungeun’s hands are smaller, but her fingers are somehow longer than Sooyoung’s. And her friendship ring kind of hurts but Sooyoung intertwines their fingers anyways. “Does this prove anything?”

“Hold on, let me try with Hyejoo,” Chaewon says.

_Smooth_. 

After a minute of going round the circle and comparing hand sizes, the final verdict is that yes, being taller does mean you have bigger hands. Hyejoo shakes her head, her hair covering her face. “We’re so gay. This hand size thing - it’s so gay.”

“Hey, you were the one who mentioned it,” Sooyoung frowns. “Also aren’t you gay? It makes sense.”

“Yeah Hyejoo, we’re all gay here, what are you, homophobic?” Jinsoul says, her eyebrows raised.

“I personally have externalised homophobia,” Chaewon smiles. “Home of sexual? I ain’t never heard of her.”

Sooyoung breathes in deeply. “Chaewon you are killing me.”

“I tend to have that effect on people.”

Jiwoo speaks up, having not uttered a single word since Jinsoul had started holding her hand. “Where are the others?”

“Back at the gazebo,” Hyejoo replies. “Probably finishing up the food. Yeojin’s teaching people how to do the Monster choreo.”

“Should we head back then?” Jungeun picks at her lip with her index finger. 

“Yeah - we’ve got one more thing to do before dinner… I think I left my phone at the gazebo too.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Jungeun peels away from Sooyoung’s side. “Hey Chae, can you send that video to the discord?”

“On it.”

“Wait a minute, I didn’t consent to being filmed. Or ridiculed.”

“Please don’t sue us for defamation,” Jinsoul says, her eyes wide.

“Actually, defamation is something, like, untrue that makes you look bad. What we’re saying here is all true.” Hyejoo grins.

“You’re making me want to beat you in that dance battle more than ever.”

“Bite me.”

“Oh, just you wait.”

Jungeun looks between the two of them. “What’s this dance battle? Why haven’t I heard of it before?”

“I don’t think you were listening,” Chaewon interjects helpfully. “Also, Sooyoung, I can edit the bits with you out if you want, just tell me.”

“No, I’m okay with it, I think - only if you promise to add me to that discord soon.”

“What do you think guys? Is Sooyoung allowed into the AOI?”

“The hell is an AOI?”

Jungeun laughs. “Association of Idiots, it’s our server. And yeah, you can join the mess that is AOI.”

“So that’s one vote in favour,” Jinsoul says. “Any more?”

“Sooyoung’s cool, I’ve got her LINE too so I can dox her if need be.” Hyejoo smiles.

“Jesus christ what have I gotten myself into…”

Chaewon puts her phone in her pocket. “We’ll ask other people when we get back to the gazebo.” 

“Right, yeah.” Jungeun sighs. “Also, which Monster? The EXO one or the -”

“The gay one.” Chaewon replies.

“I knew I could count on Yeojin.”

On the way back to the gazebo, Sooyoung gets sucked into their conversations and their shenanigans, including Jiwoo dropping down and doing forward rolls, on the grass, in her extremely expensive dress. 

It’s weird because it fits, they fit into Sooyoung’s world seamlessly. An autumn day shouldn’t be so loud but Sooyoung doesn’t mind their laughs, and Jungeun’s breathless cackles. And Sooyoung decides with Jungeun hanging onto her arm that she doesn’t need to throw herself into traffic after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I am back on my bullshit with the modern Lipves! I can't deal with the psychic damage of IRL yearning in 2020 so I'm channelling it into a fic where touch-starved gays get together. 
> 
> Next chapter (soon, if I'm still emotionally whole): hide and seek, closets and gays, fancy dinners, Jiwoo's mothers coming home. Don't know which Twice members they should be, any suggestions?
> 
> Pride month is over but Bride month is always, girls are cute, peace out.


End file.
